A cucumber, eggplant or the like (hereinafter, referred to as cucumber) is generally cultivated in a greenhouse and then placed on the market throughout the year. A pre-determined amount of agricultural chemicals is sprayed to exterminate plight and harmful insects inhabiting stems and leaves of the cucumber with its length relatively greater than its width when the cucumber is cultivated.
In such a case, since agricultural chemicals are sprayed directly onto a surface of the cucumber, the agricultural chemicals also remain on the surface of the cucumber at a time when the cucumber is placed on the market. Therefore, there is a problem in that the agricultural chemicals are accumulated in and harmful to the human body if an individual eats the cucumber without cleaning the cucumber.
Further, cucumbers have a diameter of about 3 cm and tend to get curved, due to the influence of growing environments such as soil, moisture or sunshine, when it reaches a certain length. That is, the cucumbers grow to be different in view of their shapes. As a result, it is difficult to harvest cucumbers with uniform shapes and standards, and thus, the value of commodity can be lowered as a whole. Furthermore, any in-convenience may occur when storing, carrying or handling the cucumbers.
Accordingly, an apparatus for cultivating a cucumber in which a cover made of a general synthetic resin material is used to cover the cucumber has been currently employed such that an individual can eat the cucumber without fear by preventing agricultural chemicals from remaining directly on the surface of the cucumber and the value of commodity can also be improved by keeping the cucumber at a fixed shape and standard.
Such an example of an apparatus for cultivating a cucumber is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Publication No. 0261929. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 100 for cultivating a cucumber comprises first and second covers 110 and 120. The first and second covers 110 and 120 are hingedly connected to each other by means of a hinged portion 130 and include carved portions 116 and 126 with a cultivating place, cultivator or the like indicated on a side on one surface of the apparatus, air vent holes 111 and 121 formed on the other side of the surface of apparatus, stem holes 117 and 127 formed on one end of the apparatus, and flower leaf holes 118 and 128 formed on the other end opposite to the stem holes 117 and 127, respectively. The first cover 110 includes fastening plates 112 and 114 formed respectively with a fastening hook 113 and a fastening eye 115. The second cover 120 includes fastening plates 122 and 124 formed respectively with a fastening hook 123 and a fastening eye 125. The fastening hooks 113 and 123 and the fastening eyes 115 and 125 are formed on edges opposite to the hinged portion 130 to correspond to each other in a staggered manner. Therefore, the cucumber can be completely shielded against agricultural chemicals sprayed on the cucumber several times while cultivating the cucumber, thereby preventing the agricultural chemicals from remaining on the surface of the cucumber, so that an lower agricultural chemicals cucumber can be produced. In addition, the cucumber can be cultivated within a main body of the apparatus 100 constructed in the form of a single case by the fastening plates 112, 124, 122 and 114.
However, the conventional apparatus 100 for cultivating a cucumber may have a problem in that when the cucumber continuously grows beyond the size of the main body thereof constructed in the form of a case by means of the first and second covers 110 and 120, the cucumber applies an certain expansion pressure to the first and second covers 110 and 120.
In such a case, since the first and second covers 110 and 120 are kept at a firmly fastened state by means of the fastening hooks 113 and 123 and the fastening eyes 113 and 123, a force for suppressing the expansion pressure of the cucumber will be exerted again onto the cucumber. Therefore, there is another problem in that the value of commodity is lowered due to the shape deformation of the cucumber itself.
In addition, since the conventional apparatus for cultivating a cucumber cannot indicate a period of harvest, a cultivator should visually determine one by one the period of harvest. Therefore, there is a further problem in that it is a burden on a busy peasant as well as the value of commodity is also lowered due to missing of the period of harvest.
Furthermore, since the expansion pressure of the cucumber applied to the main body is not uniform, the other portions than a fastening portion may be deformed in a state where the first and second covers 110 and 120 do not withstand the non-uniform expansion pressure applied thereto. Therefore, there is a still further problem in that the main body cannot be used again due to its failure.
That is, if a cucumber grows beyond a certain size or thickness, the expansion pressure is applied to the main body up and down or from side to side. In such a case, since a direction in which a cucumber grows is not regular, the expansion pressure applied to the main body is also not uniform. Therefore, since the main body may be distorted when the cucumber grows beyond a certain size or thickness, it is difficult to reuse the main body and the shape of cucumber growing in the main body is not uniform.
Moreover, the air vent holes 111 and 121 are formed in the first and second covers 110 and 120 in order to prevent the cucumber from being rotten due to the inhabitation of molds or ticks while the cucumber grows in the main body of the apparatus.
However, it is still unsatisfactory and thus there is a need for further supplement.